Question 218
Mr DA Kganare (Cope) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether she has developed any educational materials and support programmes to assist educators to effectively teach key aspects relating to (a) climate change and (b) global warming; if not, why not, if so, (i) how many educational materials were developed, (ii) in which (aa) languages and
(bb) provinces and (iii) how many educators received training.?
Reply:
(a) Although there are no separate educational materials that have been developed for climate change. Climate change is integrated and addressed in Natural Sciences and Social Sciences in grades 4 to 9 and in Geography, Physical Science and Life Sciences in Grades 10 to 12.
(b) As in (a) above.
(i) Education materials for climate change and global warming are in approved textbooks for subjects on the national catalogue of textbooks for Grades 10 to 12 and provincial catalogues for Grades 4 – 9 for subjects listed in (a) above.
(ii) (aa) The textbooks are in English and Afrikaans as languages of learning and teaching (LoLT) for the majority of learners in Grades 4 to 12.
(bb) All nine provinces use the national catalogue of textbooks.
(iii) In 2008 the ninety nine Geography subject advisors were specifically trained on climate change and global warming by the Department of Education to support teachers in all schools.
Source: Department of Basic Education
